Steve & Dottie St Clair

The team of three from St Louis have come and gone. They were awesome – stayed on track – and took fantastic quality pictures and videos. They hope to produce a documentary that communicates missions. May God bless and keep them. How they will cut 3 hours of material to 12 minutes is why I am glad they are in charge!.

Faith Academy Davao went through a big change this year. It became time to separate from Manila and establish a school in the setting of Davao. God put the pieces together, gave us a Godly board and community unity. Manila has been a wonderful heritage. Now we are Faith International Academy, working alongside Faith Academy Manila in ministering to missionaries and missionary children. The atmosphere is very much like Faith Academy was in 1965. There is a closeness of staff and an enthusiasm of discovery that comes from being small and a dependence on God that is community-wide. We feel very blessed to have been there in Manila all those years and now here! Steve continues as teacher. He finally gave away soccer and basketball but started a weightlifting program. Last month a few boys asked to learn wrestling. He will always be a coach :-}

I continue to be evangelist and discipler of people and pusher of papers. BIR is the Philippine form of IRS. I have spent many days in the last 4 weeks at BIR walking correction papers for BFD. Last week one of the administrators gave me a hug and today another one shared her McDonald French fries with me. I am so spoiled. I bought a water dispenser at a store I hadn’t been back to in 3 months. The sales girl was wearing the heart pin from the tract I had shared with her. She had no idea when I would come, but by wearing it every day, she was ready – and so happy! It reminded me of how often Jesus says to us to be always ready.

In Nov. a young man, Daniel Minnella, came to stay with us. He has had many wonderful experiences, has blessed Gilbert [BFD full-time worker] as a companion for visitation and ideas, has set up LCD at the church and has adjusted really well to heat, food, loss of privacy, and all the things that come with living here. He is learning Cebuano to better minister in Davao. .And – he is learning that it is hard to be a missionary. It is hard to see an open day and know how to fill it well. Psalms 16:5-11 rates high on my list of “how”. I am like Samuel. I hear best at night. It is hard to live selflessly 24/7. Gal 6:2 – caring for others while doing your own well.

DVBS and Family Camp coming up April 6,7,8 and 20-24. Happiness as our youth take on so much of the responsibility. :-} Challenges as communication gaps make unseen holes :-}